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Cole MacGrath
"No. Kessler wanted me strong, ruthless. So that when I face the beast, I'd be capable of making impossible decisions... All for the common good." | image = | caption = Cole in inFamous 2 | gender = Male | affiliation = Solo, DARPA, Empire City Police (Good Karma), Reapers (Evil Karma) | location = Empire City (inFamous & inFamous 2), New Marais (inFamous 2) | first appearance = Introduction }} Cole MacGrath is the protagonist of inFamous and inFamous 2, an ordinary man given an extraordinary ability to control electricity. He is voiced by Jason Cottle in inFamous and by Eric Ladin in inFamous 2. Biography Before the Blast Originally, Cole was a courier working in Empire City. He had travelled to New Marais to take advantage of the fact that the police force constantly had their hands full to practice parkour, and used it to aid in his job back in Empire City. The two most important relationships in his life were with his girlfriend, Trish Dailey, and his best friend Zeke Dunbar. The Blast Immediately before The Blast, Cole was delivering a package to the Historic District. After receiving a phone call from his boss, Cole made his way to the intersection of 19th and Sloat, where he receives a call from Kessler to open the package. Cole opened the package, revealing the Ray Sphere, which immediately activated. The Blast devestated several city blocks around Cole, vaporizing thousands of people and concentrating their bio-electric energy in Cole. The result of this was a city-wide blackout, the deaths of thousands, and the formation of a crater now known as Ground Zero in the Historic District. The Blast weakened Cole as well, causing severe burns and injuries to his left arm and leg, and possibly injuring his vocal chords, but keeping him alive. Post-Blast Empire City was put under quarantine, and without outside help, chaos quickly descended upon the city as gangs quickly grew in number and power (Reapers, Dust Men, and First Sons). Cole awakened after about four days and gradually learned to control his electrical powers. Approximately two weeks after the quarantine was put in effect, Cole's powers had developed to the point where he could fire powerful electrical blasts and generate potent shockwaves. As he regrouped with Zeke, he discovered that a pirate television broadcaster, "the Voice of Survival", had identified Cole as the cause of the explosion, turning the city populace against him - including Trish, who blamed Cole for her sister, Amy's death. Cole and Zeke attempted to make it past the quarantine using Cole's new superpowers, but they were overwhelmed by military units and were almost killed. Zeke escaped, but Cole was caught by an FBI agent named Moya Jones, who offered to let Cole, Zeke and Trish past the quarantine if he returned to Empire City to help recover the Ray Sphere, the device that triggered the explosion, as well as find her supposed husband and fellow agent, John White. With John's help, Cole is able to locate and Destroy the Ray sphere but at the cost of John's life. Eventually Cole Confronts and defeats the three gang leaders (Sasha, Alden, and Kessler) and after the death of Kessler, it's revealed that he is actually Cole from a now alternate future. It's revealed that, in his timeline, a Conduit of unimaginable power known as the Beast suddenly arrived, his one and only goal to wipe out all life on the planet. Kessler could have stopped it in the early days but, fearing for his family in the cross fire, took them and ran. The Beast went on unnopposed and when it finally caught up with Cole, his family was killed and there was nothing he could do to stop it. With no other option, Kessler used his latest power, time travel, to go back in time to strengthen his past self so, by the time the Beast arrived, he would be strong enough to defeat it and, to ensure he would fight it, he took away everything he had to lose to make sure he wouldn't repeat Kessler's mistakes. After the events of InFamous, Moya has ordered soldiers to capture Cole, even at the cost of human life. In addition, a powerful Conduit named David tries to kill Cole, who David believes is Kessler in disguise. New Marais Due to Kessler's meddling in the timeline, the Beast arrived in Empire City much earlier than expected, devastating the city and forcing Cole to fight the villain unprepared. Overpowered and beaten, Cole was forced to flee and travelled to New Marais to escape from the Beast. Here, Cole hoped to acquire the information on how to defeat the Beast from an ex-First Sons scientist named Wolfe, who lives in New Marais, before the Beast followed him there. Also in New Marais are two Conduits with the abillity to give Cole new powers and amplify his existing ones, named Kuo and Nix. Cole has limited time to find them, while also being hunted by "the Militia", the "Corrupted", and most importantly, the Beast. The Millitia are a group of Xenocidal extremists dedicated to "Humanity's purity" and are actively hunting down and killing conduits to prevent them from overwhelming the human race. The Corrupted are humans who have somehow been mutated beyond recognition into feral monsters. Also see Powers Powers *'Electrokinesis': Cole is a powerful Conduit with the ability to create and manipulate electricity. **Healing Factor: Cole's inner electric field greatly accelerates his body's natural ability to repair damage by stimulating the muscle tissue and his immune system; essentially an accelerated healing factor, making Cole impervious to most diseases except for the most powerful ones, such as mind control, and the extremely toxic gases that Kessler's air balloons had released. His healing capability can be temporarily boosted when he absorbs electricity. Aside from immunity to disease, Cole's natural healing factor is beyond that of any human: After the Blast, he is shown to be covered in severe electrical burns, walking with a limp, and having his left arm crippled out of shape, wounds that would take months to heal; Cole is shown completely healed of these injuries four days after the blast. With electricity coursing through his body, this also allows for his muscles to absorb huge amounts of physical trauma to a far greater degree than normal humans, granting the ability to survive falls from extreme heights with no harm to his body. Cole also has enhanced physical strength, agility, durability, and reflexes. He has not fully adapted to his powers as of yet, as he only just gained them. As of Infamous 2, Cole has adapted to them better, as he could use both of his arms simultaneously, instead of alternately switching between them, to channel his powers. As the game begins, his abilities are basic; he can discharge electricity at a chosen target at will, generate a shockwave that will knock any unsecured object through the air, restore his power stores and health by absorbing electricity, and sense ambient electricity - even from the recently dead. A minimal amount of training enables him to increase his resistance to damage, use electrical discharges while striking opponents, and gather ambient electricity while falling and discharge it in a powerful shockwave upon impacting the ground. (Players who purchase the appropriate DLC can also generate blades of focused electricity) During the fourth mission, Blood Trail, he restores power to a section of the city by acting as a living electrical conduit, which has the side effect of granting him three new powers; the ability to heal people with electricity, recharge himself by stealing people's electrical energy and restrain people with electric binds. During the seventh mission, High Ground, he gains the ability to produce "grenades" of focused electricity which will adhere to subjects and explode with intense force. During the ninth mission, The Good Stuff, he gains the ability to slide along active electrical wires. During the twelfth mission, No Protection, he gains the ability to precisely discharge electricity at remote targets. During the fifteenth mission, Stranded, he gains the ability to glide with electricity discharged from his palms. During the eighteenth mission, Playing Hero, he gains the ability to produce ball lightning projectiles. During the twenty-sixth mission, Light In The Tunnel, he gains the ability to create electrokinetic forcefields capable of blocking metallic objects, such as bullets. During the thirty-first mission, Vengeance, he gains the ability to manipulate electrical currents within the air to create powerful streams of lightning to fall from the sky which he can fully control (his first example of weather control). But if Kessler, a fully developed electrokinetic and a future version of Cole, is any indication, his powers are still immature despite being so powerful already, and he can still develop and master many powers which (if the ending cutscene is any indication) includes the ability to project his thoughts into the minds of others through direct contact, an advanced form of Static Thrusters which allowed him to propell himself at considerable speed, limited illusion generation, a brief phase-shift which is similar to short-distance teleportation, super speed, and an energy form. Some of Cole's abilities are by-products of his core ability to absorb, store and redirect electricity, which includes electromagnetism and weather control. In Infamous 2, Cole must decide whether to obtain powers transfered from either Nix or Kuo. If he chooses Nix, he will gain control over Napalm (Fire), and if he chooses Kuo, he will gain control over Ice. He will also use the Amp, a specially designed melee weapon built by Zeke. Equipment Wherever Cole travels in Empire City or New Marais, he always wears a single-strapped backpack with a cellphone attached to it. In inFAMOUS 2, Cole starts using the Amp, which he uses as an electrically charged melee weapon. He also carries a GPS. Appearance and mental state His powers also seem to change drastically depending on his mental state, represented by the Karma system and his various Good and Evil upgrades. , as he appears in inFamous.]] inFAMOUS No matter which path Cole takes, he will always wear a yellow and black tracksuit, though the colors become washed-out should Cole take the Evil path, and a messenger bag with his phone attached to the single strap. His head is closely shaved and he has a gravelly voice that may or may not be the result of the Blast. Cole is very intelligent, and is able to logically deduce the outcomes of any actions he might take, allowing the player to understand the consequences of Moral Choices they make. The electricity Cole produces changes color depending on his disposition, though remains at a consistent strength regardless of his decisions. inFAMOUS 2 In early inFamous 2 images, Cole underwent a drastic re-design. He trades in his buzz cut for a longer style, and his delivery jacket for a black T-shirt, union jack pants, an orange backpack, professional free-running shoes and his voice seems to sound less gravelly. Sucker Punch redesigned him again, due to poor fan response, with the third design now retaining the short sleeve shirt, pants, and shoes of his second look while incorporating the hair style of the first look and has tattoos, which serves as reminders of his past, which change with his Karma. He also now sports a long scar running along the side of his face from his battle with the Beast. Also, as seen in the images to the Right, his cloths also change with his Karma, a grey and white shirt for good with normal colored skin, and a black and red shirt with pale skin for evil. Zeke has also designed him a weapon called the Amp, which allows him to further manipulate his electricity. When not in use, he hangs the Amp from his backpack. Sucker Punch had mentioned that Cole's tattoos have something to do with his past before he obtained his powers. Good "But now I understand that this is my life. There’s no going back. That the gift of these powers would be my burden 'till the day I die." ''- Good Cole. The color of his attacks at Good karma are a bluish white, not unlike most depictions of electricity. At Hero rank, Cole is trying to protect the civilians of Empire City, and as such, he is much more accurate at shooting his lightning, and other projectiles which have been shown to be much less destructive (to the point that his Shock Grenades restrain people instead of killing them), but much stronger on individual targets than Evil karma abilities. With the above mentioned, many people think that his abilities are tuned towards the defensive side. Because of this, civilians will cheer and take pictures when you walk by (some may even shout random things like "I want your babies!"), as well as even help you fight the Gangs, usually by throwing rocks at them. His clothes stay black and yellow (though they may seem cleaner) and Cole's body will remain the same. Cole's mental state throughout the game as Good develops positively: When the good actions he performs make him a champion of the people, his focus is turned towards restoring order in Empire City, even as much as getting out of there and finding out what happened during and before the Blast. In the Good ending, Cole has become a symbol of hope to the people of Empire City, but he is still unsure what to think of his former friend Zeke. The crime level is dropping greatly and he is currently helping in the rebuilding of the city. According to interviews, this is the canon ending to the original ''inFamous. In Infamous 2, if you choose the good path, Cole will don a white and light grey shirt, a different colored backpack, his tatoos will change, and his Amp looks as if it were frozen in ice. It also looks like Cole trades his jeans for track pants. He will also have his usual look or cleaner. It seems like his scar is healing and becomes lighter or completely disappears and his tatoos will start turning in stars. Cole gains Cryokinetic (Ice) powers, in addition to his Electrokinetic ones. Evil "In a place with no law, the strong take what they want, and the weak are their slaves, their play things... And no one is stronger than me." - Evil Cole His powers at Evil karma are coloured blood red, and later become black with a red outline if at the end of the game the player activates the Ray Sphere. Regardless of Cole's previous Karmic state, this action is so unforgivably evil that the player's rank is instantly shifted to and locked at Infamous (Though transitioning to the rank, via this method, does not unlock the corresponding Trophy). At the Infamous rank, Cole has no empathy for the inhabitants of Empire City, and thus, his abilities are much less focused and more destructive than the Good variants due to the lack of required precision necessary to their counterparts, but seems to do less damage when focusing on an individual. Unfortunately for any innocent bystanders, this also causes a huge amount of collateral damage on the side and civilians are often killed by the stray grenade lob. Cole also begins to change in appearance, indicating that his powers are "corrupting him": His skin will turn pale, and for every rank, black, vein-like markings that resemble electric currents will grow larger on the neck and back of his head. This is possibly a result of the immense amounts of power surging through him, and thus, the altered appearance may be a result of the energy disrupting several body functions. Cole's ego is also altered. While his main focus is getting out of the city at the start of the game, his thoughts turn towards both getting more power and punishing those who did him wrong. In the Evil ending, Cole has become a tyrant and has destroyed Empire City beyond repair. The crime rate is steadily rising and Cole believes that control belongs to the strongest, and that no one is stronger than him. In Infamous 2, if you choose the evil path, Cole will don a ripped up black and red T-shirt, his face will become paler and sickly, and his tatoos will change. He also wears a red belt with his pants, worn in a "punk" style. His backpack turns into a grayish-brown. His scar will also deepen and grow across his face and his tatoos will be turning into pitchfork-like pics on Cole's arms. Cole gains Pyrokinetic (Fire) powers, in addition to his Electrokinetic ones. Side Effects and Weaknesses There are several unfortunate side effects to Cole's powers, mostly dealing with the fact that his body is constantly channeling a powerful electrical field. He can generate, channel and control electricity, but not produce large amounts of it at one time, meaning he has to siphon power from external sources to use his more advanced powers. Once Cole has used up all of his auxiliary energy, he is only capable of using Lightning Bolt, Polarity Wall, Static Thrusters (these powers probably use the static electricity in the air, like how lightning is made or it is created from the neural electrical energy from his body) and Overload Burst (good). Most dangerously, should Cole become sufficiently submerged in water, he will short-circuit and cause injury to everyone in the water, including himself. If the water is deeper than Cole's height, Cole will instantly be electrocuted and die. According to Game Director Nate Fox, this short circuit side effect forces Cole to sponge bathe and further supported this fact by reminding everyone that Cole dated Trish, a doctor, in the first game. Small amounts of water do not injure him, leaving him able to drink (though he does short-circuit into puddles, killing anyone also standing in them, though Cole is not injured to any noticeable degree). In Infamous 2, he has been shown having the ability to use cryokinesis, which uses water to create ice, so it is unknown if Cole can withstand large bodies of water now or possibly uses the water vapor in the air to create it, similar to using the static in the air to generate electricity. (SPECULATION) Or this may mean he will simply be able to freeze the water and then cross it. In demo footage, Cole is seen standing in shallow water with no adverse efects and no visible signs of short circuiting into the water. Cole also cannot use guns because the electricity from Cole's hands burns the gun powder and blows the firearm up (mentioned by Zeke in the first mission). He can't sit in cars because the electricity from Cole will react with the fuel and make the car explode (also mentioned in the first mission). Cole is able to stand on cars during gameplay, perhaps due only to his rubber, non-conductive shoes making contact with the vehicle. It's unknown what would happen if he sat in an electric car (but, since electric cars run on, what are essentially very big batteries, it is very unlikely Cole would be able blow them up). Though he is seen in a gameplay trailer climbing onto Bertrand's limo without the car reacting to his electricity, perhaps indicating he may have learned to control his inner electricity enough to prevent this from happening. Alternate Timeline In the original timeline, it is revealed that he developed his powers naturally and married Trish with Zeke as his best man. Later, he and Trish had twin daughters, who were fully aware of his growing powers. However, an extremely powerful Conduit known as the Beast emerged, destroying the world and attempting to kill Cole. Cole knew he was stronger and could stop the Beast near the start of his rampage, but was more concerned with his family's safety and fled, leaving the Beast for others to take on. Unfortunately, no one else was able to take on the Beast, who pursued Cole around the world, sensing him as the only true threat to his power. Ultimately, the Beast killed Trish and both of Cole's daughters, and by then, even Cole wasn't strong enough to stop him. Cole's experiences shook his very person to the core, leading him to decide on the only way to stop these horrific events, by using his newest and most dangerous power: the ability to make a one-way trip to the past, in the hopes that he could fix his future. He threw off his old name, becoming the man that would be known as Kessler. Gallery File:The_Wedding-1-.jpg|Cole at his wedding (alternate timeline) Infamous-2-20100618095835400 640w.jpg|Cole (as seen in inFAMOUS 2), talking with Zeke at a public meeting of the Militia. Warren.jpg|Cole overlooking Empire City. Infamous-2-20100618095909195 640w.jpg|Cole (in InFamous 2) overlooking New Marais 75FINAL.jpg|Cole as he appears in a Game Informer issue cole-mcgrath.jpg|Cole in Infamous 1 InFAMOUS2..jpg|(inFAMOUS 2) Cole using new magnetic powers while fighting new enemy brute Infamous2gc4.jpg|(inFAMOUS 2) Cole using rail-induction in New Marias 800px-InFamous_2_Cole_compare.png|Cole's old inFAMOUS 2 look with his new look images.jpg|Cole in Infamous 2 cole_infamous_2.jpg|New Cole looking over the new city Cole in Infamous 2.jpg|New Cole looking good infamous2_powers624x351.jpg|Shockwave time 'Trivia' *Cole's last name, MacGrath, is coincidentally similar as the director of an unrelated movie called Infamous, Douglas McGrath. *His first name (Cole) is derived from the Old English nickname Cola "charcoal", denoting a person with dark features, describing him perfectly with his electrokinetic powers. *Cole's powerset, abilities and how he received them are similar to, and likely inspired by, a variety of electricity-manipulators in comics and TV shows, including Spider-Man villain Electro, Surge of the New X-Men, Justice League of America member Black Lightning, Static Shock, a superhero who got his powers from a large blast, similar to the Ray Sphere explosion, and the Sith in Star Wars' ability to shoot lighting from their hands. *Cole has a sprinting and parkour style similar to that of Sly Cooper, another Sucker Punch icon. *A simple thing such as Cole running or jogging has about twenty animations, for the way human beings change balance when changing directions, to subtle motions in different body parts. *An early version of Cole in one of Sucker Punch's prototypes was called GearWolf. One of the key game mechanics in this was flirting. GearWolf had an infinite supply of razor-sharp bike gears from his motorcycle, which was another game mechanic. GearWolf also had a very similar design to Cole, in terms of the backpack and jacket. This prototype saw the game's first grapple sequence, and the gears were the prelude to the electric powers. *Cole's Good and Evil Karma versions are downloadable skins in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, along with several other characters from PS3-exclusive games. "Cole" is a character on the "Heroes" team, and "Evil Cole" is a character on the "Villains" team, though he doesn't have pale skin or the the black veins on the back of his head. Zeke Dunbar is also available for the Heroes team. *If you look closely at Cole's backpack, it features a Sly Cooper symbol from the Sly Cooper series, along with the numbers "1" and "3". The Sly Cooper symbol can also be found on Cole's pack in inFamous 2. *During his fight with Kessler, Kessler states that Cole's mother is ashamed of his job and tells others he is a teacher, while his father approves of Cole's relationship with Trish, considering her the daughter he never had. As Kessler already lived Cole's life, and has been watching over his alternate self all his life, it is possible that he is correct, though it is also possible that he is lying or exaggerating to mess with Cole's mind. *At one point, the look of Cole in inFamous 2 was unknown since Sucker Punch stated at Comic Con that they were changing the look to be closer to the original due to the negative reaction from fans. * Cole was modeled after Jason Statham. *Cole appears to be Ambidextrous, meaning able to use both hands for writing, ect. This is clearly due to being able to change which hand Cole uses to shoot by pressing the right analog stick and at several points during the story. This is a trait exhibited by no other character except Zeke Dunbar. Also, in the gameplay trailer of inFAMOUS 2, Cole switches the Amp between his left and right hands. *It is interesting to note that, in the game, Sasha and Alden both relate Cole to Kessler. This suggests that they somehow knew about Cole's connection to Kessler. *Cole seems to get some respect for Kessler at the end of inFamous, as he states "the rage curtling inside", and does not say anything insulting Kessler when telling Kessler's vision. *Early rumors said that David Sullivan was going to act Cole for inFamous 2. This was proven false, as Eric Ladin is acting Cole. Sullivan and Ladin are very similar, though. *Cole will have three powers: Electrokinesis and, depending on Karma, Cryokinesis or Pyrokinesis. *Due to the effects of the Ionic Vortex and Lightnig Storm, Cole is believed to be a weather controller. Quotes *(Just after the explosion) "While sliding into unconsciousness, I could somehow, I don’t know…hear the voices of the dying. Thousands crushed by falling buildings, or burned alive in the fires. Trish lost her sister. Almost lost me. Zeke was always there, somehow sure that I’d wake up. While outside, the city fell apart. A plague struck. Followed by rioting. Theft. Rapes. A civilization committing suicide. In a bullshit attempt to contain the biological threat, the federal government locked down all access in and out of the city. Now we’re stuck in this cage with the psychos. Cops are all but gone off the streets. Either dead or too chickenshit to stand against the gangs that control things now. Outside, things were bad…but inside – inside me –something was beginning. Scary as hell at first. Gotta understand there was no one to talk to, no experts to consult. But with time, I’m learning to control it. Master it. Just hope it’s not to late …" *"At least I'm good for something". (One of the only quotes repeated twice.) *"Oh Hell yes". (said after obtaining the Static Thrusters and Polarity Wall respectively. One of the only quotes repeated twice) *"He leaped toward me. His icy fingers digging into my head. For a moment there was nothing. Then, he started to show me things. Horrible things. Beyond description. And I immediately undestood. He was showing me the future. Death and destruction on an unimaginable scale. As he released me, I knew he was responsible for all of it. That he had opened up Pandora's box, and that it wasn't ever gonna close".(Referring to Kessler) *(After a mission involving a runaway train) "The crowd was surprised to see the “terrorist” roll up and free their loved ones. Hypocrites. Yesterday they wanted my head on a platter, now they act like I’m one of the family. Truth be told, it was nice, even for that short time. To be treated like a hero. Felt good. I scanned the crowd for John as people started to leave the station…he was nowhere to be seen". (A good karma cutscene) *(After defeating Kessler) "I looked down at Kessler, reveling in my victory. And then I heard him whisper: “Trish, I love you. Please forgive me.” Then he was on me, fingers digging into my face. As Kessler’s secrets played out in my head, I finally began to understand. I saw Kessler's nemesis, a beast intent on extinguishing all life. In those early days, Kessler could’ve used his powers to stop it…but instead he fled with his family, leaving others to fend for themselves. Hunted for years, Kessler and his family watched as the rest of the world went to hell…and then it was too late, too late to fight, too late to save anyone. In that moment of failure and grief, he used his newest and most dangerous power…and went on a one way trip back in time. Attempting to rewrite history…Kessler seized control of the First Sons and accelerated the Ray Sphere's development. Decades spent plotting the blast, organizing the quarantine, finding me. Yet the thing that drove him forward, Kessler’s sole link to the past, was a picture from his wedding day…when he married Trish, with Zeke as his best man. My brain lurched, unable to accept that Kessler and I were the same person…that he’d come back in time to mold me into the savior he failed to be. Going so far as to kill the woman he loved, I loved, so that I wouldn’t be tied down by emotions. No, Kessler wanted me strong, ruthless…so that when I faced the beast I’d be capable of making impossible decisions…all for the common good. And then Kessler fell back, dead. His final message, my final message, burned into my brain. I took one last look down at myself, my future self, and turned away, the rage curdling inside. I hate everything about Kessler. But when the time comes, I WILL be ready". *"Move or die. Your choice." *(Good/Hero ending) "I thought this would be the end. That once Kessler and the Ray Sphere were gone, my life would go back to normal. But now I understand that this is my life. There’s no going back. That the gift of these powers would be my burden till the day I die. The people around here…love me. How long will that last? It’s going to happen the first time they expect me to be there for them and I’m not. I don’t even know who to trust. Moya’s still running around, planning God knows what. And Zeke…I don’t know what to think…I’ve never been more alone…" *(Bad/Infamous ending) "Because of me, Empire City is a wasteland. I’ve taken this place down notch by notch, and it’s never getting up again. Kessler thought he was preparing me to face some beast, that I’d be using my powers for the greater good. What an idiot. These powers are only good for one thing, letting me take what I want, when I want. In a place with no law, the strong take what they want, and the weak are their slaves, their playthings. And no one is stronger than me…" MacGrath, Cole MacGrath, Cole MacGrath, Cole MacGrath, Cole Category:Neutral Alignment Category:Good Alignment Category:Evil Alignment MacGrath, Cole MacGrath, Cole MacGrath, Cole MacGrath, Cole Category:Neutral Alignment Category:Good Alignment Category:Evil Alignment